A couple of friends introduced me to a guy who owned a box in Austin, TX. He’s like, “Oh you ran track in college? You should come by.” This was the end of 2009. I’d done most of the CrossFit movements, except for the really gymnastic and Olympic lifting ones. The biggest change I found was that, as an athlete, it really helped me concentrate on my mobility. I had a lot of tight leg muscles from sprinting , and really tight shoulders. I couldn’t do a front squat on a front rack, I had no wrist flexibility. I couldn’t even hold a broomstick over my head to do an overhead squat.

Sunday, July 27, 2014 - Unexpressed resentment can rear its ugly head today, motivating you to come across with more intensity than you actually feel. In fact, someone might see you as a threat, so it's to your advantage to keep things calm. On the other hand, your magnetism is electric so there may be pleasant fireworks in the love arena. Nevertheless, your current situation isn't ideal. Rather than trying to resolve any dilemmas now, living within the paradox leads to its own version of happiness.

As intensity techniques go, I think drop sets and supersets are great when doing front-, middle- and rear-delt raises. On overhead presses, however, my favorite technique is the rest-pause. The reason behind this is with rest-pauses, you never have to lighten the load - you start with a heavy weight and stick with it for the whole set. To refresh, here's how to perform rest-pauses: Pick a weight for a Smith machine overhead press with which you can do about six reps. Do a set of 4-5 reps, rest 15-20 seconds, and then do 2-3 more reps with that same weight. Rest another 15-20 seconds, then do another 2-3 reps. At that point, you'll have done 8-11 reps with a weight with which you could normally do only six. These tips will help spark growth in your shoulders, so give them a try next time delt day rolls around. Follow your pressing moves with high-intensity laterals and you'll have the best of both worlds: size and definition.

The execution of several exercises in successive fashion are employed in this shock routine. Within each giant set, you should only rest as long as it takes to get set up for the next exercise. After each set, you can rest 2-3 minutes. After a 5-10-minute general warm-up, perform 2-3 light sets of deadlifts using just the bar. From there, you'll dive right into your heaviest giant set, aiming to complete six reps on each exercise. Each of your following sets, you can lower the weight, striving to complete 10, 12 and 15 reps. Have fun, and don't forget your straps!

If you want big guns, you need to work them like you want them to grow. Don't stop when they're tired- hit 'em some more. The reason why most new-age “functional” trainers and trainees lack sizeable arms is that they don’t hit them hard enough. Not that you should overtrain your biceps, but please feel free to exhaust them into submission every now and then. Building up your biceps involves two key ingredients: increasing the training load and making sure your muscles are exposed to a sufficient number of reps. The below routine is designed to do both.

We began the workout with leg extensions. We always used a controlled descent and a brief hold at the top, aiming for four sets of 20 reps with 90 seconds of rest. After extensions, we would begin leg presses or what I referred to as the "meat" of the workout. Initially, the approach – 20 reps with 90 seconds of rest and squatting down between sets – resulted in a drastic decline in the amount of weight I could press due to the blood volume and lactic acid build up.

The bench press is responsible for adding more slabs of muscle to the chest, shoulders and triceps than any other exercise – it’s the unchallenged champion for development in those areas. But when the flat bench press fails you, there are some other options you can use to get your gains back on track. Let’s take a look at some bench press variations that can change the muscle recruitment in your pecs and lead you to a mightier max.

Take a look at the workout charts below. The first exercises you’ll see on each training day are relatively big arm movements like weighted bench dips, skull crushers, and barbell curls. The lighter stuff comes last, when your arms are too spent to do much more. Gaining mass and size is all about priorities, and if your objective is to build bigger arms, start with big moves and finish with smaller ones.

Do it: Dwayne Johnson makes looking like a complete and total specimen appear to be easy, because he's an actor, performer, and entertainer. But it takes his complete and total dedication to achieve his monstrous results. If you want to get results, there's no getting around doing hard work. How hard is hard enough? A little bit harder than you think is possible. Push yourself every time you set foot in the gym or pick up a weight. Go to a mentally and physically uncomfortable place in your training. That's where you'll find out who you are and unlock the biggest results you've ever gotten.

When you walk into the gym and every single bench and squat rack is taken by a bigger, stronger guy or by that “bro” doing curls in the squat rack, you could just turn around and walk out and say you’ll come back later. However, that isn’t an option when you’re trying to be your best you, because you know consistency is key. That one day off can lead to a week, which can lead to a month, and so on. Add these moves to your arsenal and watch the fat melt off your midsection all while building muscle, without skipping a day.

You've gotten the memo—do your pull-ups for a bigger back. Let's revise that a little bit: Those pull-ups you've been doing have given you a wider back, but what about adding some thickness, detail and (most importantly) functionality to your new muscle? The "back valley" will add a third dimension to your back, which along with your "wings" will make this important muscle group more complete.

The classic manila climbing rope is an all-purpose tool capable of building overall strength and endurance in minimal time. While rope climbs are popular in CrossFit and adventure racing, their use stems from the necessary task of climbing a wall during battle. No strangers to the body-hardening benefits of rope climbs, the U.S. Special Operations Forces fast-rope out of helicopters and climb over obstacles while wearing at least 50 pounds of gear.

Unlike the romanian deadlift, during which the bar stays very close to you, let the bar drift away from your body on the descent. In addition, allow your low back to round slightly to place more emphasis on the low back and hamstrings, and less on the glutes.

Foam rolling is a type of self-myofascial release in which pressure is applied to certain body parts to relieve pain. A recent study published in the Journal of Sports Rehabilitation found that foam rolling significantly increases range of motion and that the combination of static stretching and foam rolling led to the greatest flexibility improvements. “Foam rolling limits soreness and tightness by increasing blood flow and flexibility,” says Francisco Cabrerra, C.P.T., at Dumbbell’s Gym in North Bergen, NJ, where he teaches a class demonstrating how to roll the entire body out with 10 moves. “When the muscles are tight, injuries such as tears are more likely to occur.” Do these 10 foam rolling moves to get every major muscle group firing properly.

Add pineapple to your diet to heal injuries faster and boost post-workout gains , and get more bang for your buck when you toss it in a shake. Pineapple is rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant that plays an integral role in tissue growth and healing. “It helps repair and maintain cartilage and bones, which is especially helpful for athletes,” says Ruth Frechman, R.D.

In July’s Reebok CrossFit games, you’ll see one of the year’s biggest mass gatherings of the most cut, shredded bodies in the world, on par with the Olympics or the World Cup . Looking up and down the men’s field, hopefully you’ll get motivated to hit the gym with gusto this summer. As for the women, you’ll probably covet some of their muscles as well—possibly in a couple of different ways. Here’s a list of 10 of the most beautiful, kick-ass women you’ll see competing this summer. As everyone’s saying these days, strong is the new sexy.

Child prodigy Asia Monet Ray is no stranger to the spotlight and her loyal fan base eagerly follows her every career move. This summer Lifetime premieres the all-new docuseries Raising Asia (#RaisingAsia) featuring the child sensation and her mother Kristie, who won’t let anything get in her daughter’s way. Debuting on Tuesday, July 29, at 10pm ET/PT the road to fame and success isn’t an easy one but with her mom by her side, Asia’s dreams of becoming a world famous performer are well within reach, at least if Kristie has her say. Read more...

Everyone knows protein is essential to building muscle , but you don't always have the time to cook a meal every night or the money to constantly buy fresh meat from the butcher. If you're having trouble fitting a protein-packed meal plan into your daily routine of working and working out, here are some nutrition-saving tips to make sure you're getting all you need to make sure your gym gains aren't going to waste with the wrong fuel.

We've included for you Schwarzenegger's chest/back and biceps/triceps superset workouts. Since we don't recommend jumping righ into these grueling routines, we suggest that you modify them by knocking three sets off each exercise to start. After two weeks, add one set to each exercise per week until you've reached Schwarzenegger's full routines. Once you've gotten to that level, stick with each program for no more than eight weeks. Then return to standard single-bodypart training for eight weeks. This way, your body won't adapt to one particular style and grow complacent. This technique, known as the Weider Muscle Confusion Training Principle, was also one of the Oak's favorites, and with his record of success to back him up, you might consider trying it as well. - FLEX

Say you hit traffic on the way to the gym and you're left with only 30 minutes to get a full arm workout in. Instead of sitting in your car thinking about what to do, look no further than Andrew Sakhrani, C.S.C.S., who provided this perfect triceps workout that only takes a half-hour—and is probably better than the one you were doing anyway.

Today’s bodybuilder is interested in not only the quickest, but also the smartest and healthiest way to add mass. FLEX, ever ready to serve, has answered this call for an efficient mass-gain strategy by constructing a program that will help you, the average reader, gain five solid pounds of muscle in five weeks, without an accompanying layer of lard around your middle.

“Naturally fermented sauerkraut is great on a sandwich or on the side," notes Geagan. "Plus, sauerkraut is fermented cabbage, so you get all the health benefits of the brassica family, like cancer-fighting antioxidants and probiotics. It's great for supporting a healthy immune system, as 70% of your immune system is in your gut.”

For the hardcore snooze-thusiasts, the WSJ also highlights a study that put participants in “stone-age” conditions. It turns out when forgoing electricity, an alarm, and all sense of time besides sunlight, the average amount of sleep is around 7.2 hours.

Tabata , a popular type of interval training, is named after Japanese professor Izumi Tabata who co-authored a 1996 study that found intense four-minute workouts done five days a week for six weeks improved your VO2 max (maximal oxygen consumption) and anaerobic energy supply system. Adaptations of Tabata allow for 20-60 minute workouts all of which have short, intense work periods followed by short rest periods. “Tabata training was made to improve performance, stamina and endurance in elite athletes,” says Leo Wright, certified Group Fitness and Boot Camp Instructor at New York Health & Racquet Club , and designer of this heart-pumping routine. “It also supports excess post exercise oxygen consumption so you’re continuously burning more calories after your workout.” Burn maximum calories in minimum time with this 30-minute bodyweight Tabata workout.

Ever notice that you get more muscle cramps during the summer months? When you get super sweaty during a workout, you’re not just pumping water out of your pores; your body’s also flushing out electrolytes likes sodium and potassium. Electrolytes are essential to proper muscle and nerve function, and when they’re off balance, it’s easy to end up with cramp or muscle spasm after exercise.

Momentum is perhaps the most common method to cheat an exercise at the end of a set. By using a leg drive on a bicep curl, you can squeeze out a few more reps when your arms are already toast. Modifying form is another method to finish out a set with a bang. On reverse flies, bending your elbow rather than keeping your arms straight shortens the lever arm and makes the exercise easier.

It’s also always preferable to take in some natural sugars rather than the processed sugars like high-fructose corn syrup that are added to most sports drinks. If you can supplement the fruit with a protein shake made with skim milk (which provides more helpful carbs through lactose), it should provide optimal recovery. Or, as Mohr suggests, just toss the fruit into the blender while you make your post-workout shake . Greek yogurt with fruit is another option.

Featuring 20 of our most delicious protein pancakes, these healthy breakfast recipes are sure to appeal to a variety of taste preferences. Blueberry pancakes, pumpkin pancakes, chocolate peanut butter pancakes, or just the simple basics—you'll find it all here and burst into a happy dance after one bite.

Either of these exercises will serve you well as a squat-replacement exercise. I’ve found that each relieves much of the hip stress I feel when performing squats, so I’m able to hit my thighs in a way squats simply won’t allow. As with extensions, it’s important to consider your form. I’ve seen many guys bounce their upper thighs off their rib cages at the bottom of leg presses. This is an excellent way to crack a rib or damage a knee. Slow and steady wins the race with both of these exercises. Also, don’t forget to consciously contract all your thigh muscles through each and every repetition.

Warnings: IMPORTANT MUST READ: LIPO-6 Black Ultra Concentrate is absolutely not for use by persons under the age of 21. Do not use if pregnant or nursing. Never exceed the recommended maximum dosage. Do not consume synephrine, caffeine or thyroid-boosting compounds from other sources, including but not limited to, coffee, tea, soda and other dietary supplements or medications containing phenylephrine or caffeine or any stimulants whatsoever. This product contains caffeine. Do not use this product for longer than 2 months. Consult your physician prior to use if you are taking medication, including but not limited to, MAOI inhibitors, anti-depressants, aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or products containing phenylephrine, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, phenylethylamine or other stimulants. Consult your physician prior to use if you have a medical condition, including but not limited to, heart, liver, kidney or thyroid disease, psychiatric disorders, difficulty urinating, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, recurrent headaches, enlarged prostate or glaucoma. Discontinue use 2 weeks prior to surgery.

The way you look has everything to do with how you train. I know guys who are 5'9" and under and who lift much heavier weight than I do but don't look stupid bulky. if you felt like you were gaining too much mass you listened to your perception of how you looked, not how you felt. Regardless it's your body and you should train it how you feel best benefits your life. There aren't many ways to misinterpret the rules in this article though as it is titled "6 Mistakes that are Killing your Gains". If someone isn't looking to make muscles gains they shouldn't be worried about these mistakes.

CONCLUSION Lifters are much stronger on barbell bench presses than on dumbbell bench presses. However, the Norwegian team also found that dumbbell presses use much less triceps muscle than barbell bench presses. This is likely due to the fact that the movement is more of an arc with dumbbells, as your arms move up and together. The barbell, on the other hand, only allows the arms to move straight up. This allows you to fatigue your triceps on bench presses first. Then when you move on to dumbbell presses, the triceps won’t be the weak link and you can focus more on the pecs.

If your only goal is performance enhancement and you’re not worried about body fat, taking creatine with carbs may be the easiest choice. A high-glycemic carb form such as fruit juice or Vitargo (this was used in the 6-month exercise studies mentioned in #1 and 2) can be taken with 2 to 4 grams of L-carnitine tartrate a day.

There comes a time in any program when the exercises become too easy. Time to load the bar up with more weight right? Likely not. The most popular and obvious progression to increase the difficulty of any exercise is to add weight, but chances are, it isn’t always appropriate.